Visit Europe by Seaplane

We were flying through a high mountain pass, a twisting maze of switchbacks across the top of the still-snowing Alps, a pass that may have been the same route Hannibal selected to bring elephants into battle with the Roman Empire. Ahead, the sprawling coastline of Lake Como came into view. The deep blue water was encircled by castles and villas and resorts extraordinaire.

Lake Como has been a celebrated destination for literally thousands of years for people like Julius Caesar to Hollywood celebrities. But the best Lake Como experience is not reserved for emperors or Hollywood stars—that experience is available to a pilot with a seaplane.

Cesare Baj dropped the first notch of flaps on the Lake Buccaneer as we made our final approach onto Lake Como. A few seconds later, we were floating in front of a villa that recently sold for more than $30 million. We weren’t invited, but we weren’t intruding either. We were enjoying Lake Como. “This is why we like to fly floats,” he said with a very big smile.